July 15, 2024

Artificial Intelligence Appreciation Day is celebrated annually on July 16. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow in popularity, with its applications seen in various sectors and settings. From language-learning models (LLMs) to AI-generated content, the influence of AI can be seen across all sides of the Internet. While many praise the usefulness of AI, many others remain wary of the dangers it might pose in the long run. The risks of AI have already started to show, in the form of misinformation, deepfakes, and more.

Media coverage on AI has been found to influence perspectives towards AI, whether positive or negative, especially when readers are unfamiliar with the topic. However, the impact tends to vary depending on the type of media, from traditional media sources to online social media platforms. Limited research has been done to understand how the use of different platforms affects trust levels towards AI and thus, ‘The effect of information seeking behaviour on trust in AI in Asia: The moderating role of misinformation concern’ (New Media and Society, 2023) seeks to address this gap.

Authored by Assistant Professor Taberez Ahmed Neyazi, Mr Tan Khai Ee (both of NUS Communications and New Media), Dr Arif Nadaf (Department of Journalism, Islamic University, Kashmir), and Professor Ralph Schroeder (Oxford Internet Institute), the paper looks into information-seeking behaviour, trust levels towards AI, as well as concern towards misinformation found online. Through a cross-national survey spanning Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and India, the researchers found that there was a positive correlation between seeking information about AI on social media and trust across all the countries. On the other hand, there was no positive correlation found between traditional media and trust, except in Singapore.

Concerning misinformation, social media exhibited a positive moderating effect in trust levels in Singapore and India, while traditional media in Singapore showed a negative impact, reducing trust levels instead. This article reveals the media’s role in shaping public trust towards such technological advances, and also sheds light into how media might influence future perceptions towards new technologies.

Read the article here.